Skylights and roof windows have been incorporated into buildings for decades as a way of introducing daylight and/or fresh air into a building interior. A skylight, which may be fixed or opening, typically is installed within a rooftop that is inaccessible from the building's interior without the use of a ladder. Most skylights include an insulated glass lens or covering element, a wood frame, and a protective cladding surrounding the wood frame. Some skylights may be mounted directly to the roof deck (those being referred to as “deck-mounted” skylights).
A roof window is designed for installation in homes or buildings where the roof is generally within reach of the building occupant. For example, roof windows may be installed in homes having low rooflines or in attics being used as living space. The roof window may possess a similar construction to a skylight, and may include opening, or ventilating, capability.
Such deck-mounted skylights and roof windows (collectively referred to herein as “skylights”) typically comprise a wooden frame. As with any window, steps must be taken to ensure that the wooden frame is protected against deterioration or decay that may be caused by exposure to the elements. In the past, manufacturers have sought to address this problem by attaching a cladding component to each side of the skylight, typically with screws.
Although such cladding components are functionally adequate for their intended purpose, a significant difficulty arises during the installation of complementary flashing elements, which may desirably be installed between the cladding component and the underlying frame. Specifically, in practice, a roofer or carpenter must unscrew the cladding components from the preassembled skylight and retain the removed screws for later use. Once the flashing elements have been installed around the perimeter of the skylight, the installer must then orient the individual cladding components around the perimeter of the skylight and secure them with the aforementioned screws. One might readily imagine the difficulty in maneuvering individual cladding components (particularly for a large skylight) and the fastening screws, without dropping either the cladding component itself or the corresponding screws.
Accordingly, it would be desirable for a deck-mounted skylight to be provided with a single cladding component that may be readily attached to and removed from an installed skylight, without the need for tools or fasteners.